Product description

The salt bath heat treat process involves immersing your steel blade, firearm component or work piece into a bath of molten salts. Once immersed, the work piece quickly reaches the proper hardening temperature.

The work is then allowed to soak in this molten bath for the amount of time you desire. Once the soak is completed the work is pulled for further quenching and processing.

The salt bath process provides an oxygen-free environment and temperature distribution around the work piece is phenomenal.

Features: 

TAP Control w/ Dedicated Salt Bath Software 

The salt bath process requires a control feature-set not found  in  ordinary  temperature  controls. The manufacturers of the TAP control (SDS Industries) have designed their control with these enhanced, salt bath features.

The TAP control allows for multiple thermocouples to control via both the firing chamber and salt bath environments along with a separate over-temp circuit for ultimate safety. SDS also modified their software to work exclusively with our Quiet Drive Solid State relay system to give tighter temperature control, extended heating element life and expected lifetime operation.

Swing View Equipped

The TAP control is fitted within our Swing View adjustable control enclosure. The swing  view is a pivoting, swing-up enclosure that allows the user to rotate the TAP control up to a comfortable viewing and programming angle and then place it back down for salt bath operation. Once down, the TAP control is protected from drag-out via our control panel drip shield and can easily be seen from across your shop. It's that simple.

The swing view allows us to position the TAP control at the top of the salt bath kiln for relaxed and easy use. No crouching or squinting needed.

Quiet Drive Solid State Relay Equipped 

All Salt Bath models are standard equipped with our Quiet Drive Solid  State relay system. The salt bath process can be a lengthy process and traditional, hard-contact mechanical relays tend to fail early and always at the wrong time. The solid state relays have no moving parts and are expected to last the life of the kiln.

Solid state also offers the benefit of tighter temperature control as they can be switched on and off very, very quickly, whereas hard-contact, mechanical relays can't. It's a major improvement in performance and reliability.

 Immersion Thermocouple 

Evenheat salt bath kilns use a dedicated immersion thermocouple designed  to  control the heat treat process temperature by directly measuring the temperature of the molten salts. While initial heat-up is controlled via the chamber thermocouple, heat treat (molten) temperature is controlled via the immersion thermocouple. Once the salts become molten, temperature control is switched to the immersion thermocouple for precise bath temperature control.

The immersion thermocouple is supplied with a mount that allows it to be properly positioned on the lip of the salt pot.

Chamber Thermocouple

Evenheat salt bath kilns are designed with a separate chamber thermocouple to  control  the salt bath kiln during the initial pre-molten stage of the salt bath process.

Controlling the pre-molten stage via the chamber temperature allows for reliable and ultimately safe operation. Once the salts become molten, temperature control is then switched over to the immersion thermocouple for precise bath temperature control.

Over-Temperature Thermocouple 

The addition of an Over-temp (high-limit) thermocouple adds to the safety factor built  into every salt bath kiln.
 
The over-temp thermocouple circuit is designed to abort the process in the event of exceeding the process temperature.

Grounded Salt Pot & Thermocouples 

To protect you against any electrical faults Evenheat has provided electrical grounds on the salt pot and all thermocouples. If a fault (short circuit) occurs the grounding of these features safely dissipates electrical energy.

Evenheat salt bath kilns produce heat electrically via heating elements placed into the firing chamber walls. The nature of the salt bath process exposes the user to electrically conductive features such as the salt pot, molten salts and thermocouples. Each of these features extend into and out of the electrically charged firing chamber. Any fault within the heating element causing it to make contact with any of these features will cause them to conduct electricity, hence the grounding.

Evenheat does offer salt pots for sale that are equipped with grounding hardware included. If you intend to provide your own salt pot we require that a grounding mechanism be included in your design.

Drip Shields

Pulling a work piece from a salt bath generally brings some of the molten salt out with it in the form of some drops and slight run-off. This is called drag-out: it's hot, it's liquid and it's damaging.

Allowing drag-out to make contact with the firebrick lid, control panels and worst of all the controller faceplate, causes extensive damage. For this reason Evenheat provides our salt bath kilns with replaceable, stainless steel drip shields on both the lid and control panel. The drip shields take the hits, not the kiln!

 Sectional Design

We've designed the chamber of the salt bath kilns to be easily disassembled. As much as we never want to see it happen damage to your chamber can occur, particularly with a salt pot that has sprung a leak. Each section of the chamber and floor is secured to each other through the use of stainless plates.

 Salt Pot Access Hole

Salt Bath kilns can use a variety of salt pot diameters. Given that, you have a choice  on the lid access hole. We do offer 3 standard sizes along with custom sizes.

All models are standard equipped with a 4.75" access hole in the lid, suitable for a 4" ID salt pot.

We offer as standard a 5.813" hole for 5" pots and 6.875" hole for 6" pots. Additional lids are available by request with access holes to fit other diameters as well as lids with no access holes that allow you to create the exact fit for your custom salt pot.

Loud Alarm Output Jack

A Loud Alarm output jack is included to connect our optional Loud Alarm. Enjoy 80db of irritating alarm bliss.

WARNING: While the salt bath process offers advantages it does come with some hazards, notably the possibility of the molten salts erupting from the salt pot (vessel that contains the molten salt). This creates a burn and fire hazard as well as risk of personal injury or death. Before committing to salt bath heat treating be aware of these potential hazards. For detailed information on this and other risks and hazards of salt bath use please refer to the Manual.